The Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of BracU was established in July 2015 in order to ensure quality education at the tertiary level. IQAC was established as a project for a period of 3 years with financial assistance from HEQEP, UGC and the World Bank. IQAC will become a permanent organ of the University after three years and its operations will be sustained and maintained under the revenue budget of the University.

General Objective

To promote a quality enhancement culture within the University by ensuring that the academic entity adopts and implements Quality Assurance (QA) standards and benchmarked quality criteria.

Specific Objectives of the IQAC

1. Review existing policies and procedures of BracU;
2. Assessing and strengthening capacity for effective governance, teaching-learning, research and community services;
3. Institutionalize quality assurance systems within the University;
4. Prepare the University to meet the external quality assurance assessment and accreditation requirements;
5. Monitoring and evaluating Self-Assessment (SA) practices and processes through audit, survey and other instruments; and
6. Co-ordinate all QA related activities at the national level; and liaise with UGC and other external QA agencies.

The role of IQAC

The IQAC was set up following an administrative order of the University authority. It is organized in a manner which befits the size, existing structure and capacity of the University as delineated in the Act. The role of IQAC is to:

1. To support the University in achieving its vision through providing quality tertiary education;
2. To work as a central quality assurance cell for the University and review existing standards and procedures;
3. Help to develop new standards, policies, systems, processes, and procedures by adapting and incorporating best practices;
4. Systematically monitor and evaluate University practices and processes through audit, survey and other instruments as deemed fit to ensure generally acceptable standards of quality.

Organogram of IQAC, Brac University

Self-Assessment Exercise

Thirteen (13) programs of Brac University were selected by Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) of UGC for Self-Assessment, financed by World Bank through HEQEP. The selected programs are as follows:

1. Architecture
2. English
3. Business Administration
4. Physics, Applied Physics & Electronics
5. Microbiology
6. Biotechnology
7. Computer Science and Engineering
8. Electrical and Electronic Engineering
9. Economics
10. Pharmacy
11. Law
12. BRAC IED
13. Master of Public Health

All the thirteen programs have completed their Self-Assessment (SA) exercises following SA manual prescribed by QAU of UGC.

The main exercises in a nutshell were:

(i) A team building workshop to create awareness on SA and Quality Assurance (QA) in higher education among the members of the program offering entity.

(ii) Preparation of Self-Assessment Report (SAR) mainly from the survey results of five (5) stakeholders. The stakeholders are: (a) Existing students (b) Academic staff (c) Non-academic staff (d) Alumni and (f) Employers.
Each program organized at least one workshop to share survey results with the stakeholders and considering the feedback from the stakeholders finalized the SAR.

(iii) The program SAR’s were validated and reviewed by External Peer Reviewer Teams (EPRT). Each EPRT consist of 3 members, one was an international QA expert, one local QA, and one local subject expert. Each team stayed at BRACU physically for 3-days and submitted exit report on the basis of their findings on the 3^rd day evening. The honorable teams submitted their final External Peer Reviewer Report (EPRR) in stipulated time.

(iv) Benchmarking mainly on SAR and EPRR, each program prepared a draft Post Self-Assessment Improvement Plan (PSAIP). The program organized a workshop and shared the draft PSAIP with the stakeholders and finalized the PSAIP.

The Self-Assessment Committee (SAC) of each program with the help of respective faculty members/stakeholders completed the rigorous tasks of SA activities. The IQAC of BracU helped them to complete the SA activities.